Vehicle headlight



o. I. REICKERT. vEHlcLE HEADLmHT.

APPLICATION FILED AUG5, 1920.

Patented June 20,l 1922.

.Engg rw ATTORN EYS vio OTTO 3. REICKER'I, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

VEHICLE I-IEADLIGHT.

imanes,

Specification of Letters Patent. kPgfbtgljlgd June 20, 1922.

Application filed August 5, 1920. Serial No. 401,475.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that l, O'r'ro J. Rnronnn'r, citizen of the United States, residing at Springfield, in the county of Hampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Vehicle Head* lights, of which the following is. a specification.

This invention relates to an improved vehicle headlight which, while capable` of being` employed'in various relations is particularly adapted for use in connection with automobiles and like vehicles for preventing glare generally objectionable in lights of this character.

One object of the invention is to provide a device of this character wherein certain of the light-rays are deflected towards the axis of the light thus preventing these rays from diverging to such an extent as to interfere with the driver of an approaching vehicle.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this character wherein the uppermost rays are bent downwardly thus preventing glare and at the same time the light is rendered more eificient for lighting the ground over which the vehicle is travelling.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which is of simple construction, eiiicient in operation, and which will not easily get out of order.

Other objects of the invention relate to details of construction and methods of operation as will more fully appear from the detailed description to follow.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. l is a side elevational view, partially in section, showing the position of the segmental reflector relative to the other parts of the headlight;

Fig. 2 is a front view of the headlight;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the segmental reflector;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a modified form of segmental reflector; and

Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view showing a different manner of securing the segmental reiector in the headlight.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated herewith the headlight comprises a casing 1 of substantially semi-spherical form which is adapted to be supported in any suitable manner. The casing may be of the usual or any desired construction, the form shown herewith being merely for the purpose `(,)fillustration as any desired form may be used with equal facility and any desired manner of constructing the Asame may be employed. A reflector 3 is positioned within thecasing l being preferably so formed as to make a parabolic curve.` with any plane passed through the axis A-B of theheadlight. A socket l may be supported by the refiector at a point at or adjacent to the axis of the headlight and this socket is provided with means whereby the wires 5 may be suitably connected to contact points for engage ment by corresponding contacts in thet base of the lamp 6.

The outer edge of the reflectorf is turned outwardly to form a fiange 7 which mav be supported in any suitablemanner from the casing. A strip of suitable packing 8 cxtends about the flange 7 as is common in devices `of this character for preventing rattling of the parts and also to protectthe glass 9 whichy bears thereaganst throughout a portion of its circumference. A cover member l0 provided with an inturned iiange ll formed at one end thereof, fits over the open end of the casing to which it may be firmly secured by any suitable fastening devices (not shown). lf desired, suitable packing may be interposed between the glass 9 and the iiange 1l to protect the glass from injury and prevent rattling 0f the parts.

n The segmental reiiector l2 has a curved inner surface portion 13 preferably so constructed as to form an efhcient reiiecting surface, and the segmental portion is made of such size as to extend from a point in the rear of the lamp 6 to a point adjacent the glass. The rear narrowed portion of the segmental reflector has a slot ll formed therein for receiving the socket 4 upon which the rear portion of said reflector is supported. The forwardly extending widened portion of the segmental reliectorv is provided with an outturned flange 15 which is bent at such an angle to the main body portion thereof as to contact with the glass 9 and be secured between the inner face of the glass plate and a portion of the packing 8. It is obvious that the forwardly extending portion of the segmental reliector may be raised or lowered slightly as it is placed in position and may thus be secured in place at slightly different angles relative to the axis of the headlight depending upon the extent. to which it is desired to deflect the light rays.

In the modied form of the invention shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings, the reflector is of similar construction to the reflector l2 previously described except that the flange l? formed thereon extends throughout only a small part of the extent of the wider end of the reflector. The flange 17 is preferably located substantiallyT midway of the arc 18 and is preferably bent outwardly after the manner of the fiange 'l5 previously described whereby it maybe readily secured between the inner face of the glass and the packing.

In the construction illustrated in Fig. 5 of the drawings, the flange 19 of the segmental reflector 20 is made somewhat longer than in the preceding forms and the end 21 of said flange is bent over the edge of the circular glass plate 22 whereby the segmental reflector is more firmly held in position and retained against movement caused by the jolting of the vehicle. In each of the forms of the invention shown, the segmental reflector makes a sharper angle with the axis of the headlight than the main reflecting surface thus causing those rays which strike the reflecting segment to be bent more sharply and deflected inwardly toward the axis of the headlight so as to cross the same and when the reflecting segment is positioned at the upper portion of the headlight, the rays thus deflected will be directed towards the roadway thus giving a greater intensity of light on the road and at the same time preventing the glare in the eyes of the driver of an approaching automobile caused by the rays from the upper portion of the main reflector being directed forwardly in straight lines.

The invention has been disclosed herein in an embodiment at present preferred, for illustrative purposes, but the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claim rather than by the foregoing description.

That I claim is- The combination in a vehicle headlight of a casing, a reflector, a lamp socket projecting therefrom, a lens, a deflector located within the upper part of the reector comprising a curved sector of bendable reflecting material having an aperture near one Yend thereof for embracing the lamp socket and a flange at its other end having a portion bent at right angles thereto that lies against the peripheral edge of the lens whereby the deflector is supported in a desired spaced and angular relation with resignature.

yOTTO J. REICKERT. 

